1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an umbrella frame of the kind (hereinafter to as of the kind described) comprising a stick carrying a fixed handle and a slider, which is lockable relatively to the stick by means of a locking member, the locking member being operated to release the slider by an operative axial movement relative to the stick against spring action of a trigger sleeve which is carried by the handle.
2. Description of Related Art
A mechanism which obviates the unintentional release of an unbrella slider, upon seizing the handle of the umbrella, is already known, for example, from the German Pat. No. DE-B-1242813, published June 22, 1964. In that case, the trigger sleeve, which is guided on the stick by a bush so as to movable axially in the handle of the umbrella, is held by a compression spring in the position of readiness. During the course of the operative axial movement of the sleeve against the pressure of the spring, effected by pressing in the trigger sleeve, the sleeve slides on the stick and moves the locking member out of its locking engagement with the slider. According to a further variant of this prior disclosure, the release of the locking member of the slider is effected, via a part which slides in the stick and cooperates with a wedge formed in the stick, thus forcing a locking member in the slider out of its locking engagement in the stick. In both cases, the trigger sleeve is integrated in the inner, or on the outer, edge of the umbrella handle to such a great extent that the grip area provided for the hand holding the umbrella handle remains completely free functionally, as well as optionally, of the release mechanism. The consequence of this is that users of umbrellas having release mechanisms of that kind, who, upon buying an umbrella unmindfully throw away the instructions for use, upon needing to use the umbrella, have great trouble in opening it correctly and then only after first of all turning the umbrella round and round in their hands for a long time while looking for the release trigger.
On the other hand release mechanisms in the form of push buttons for the sliders of umbrellas are already known, for example, from German utility model No. DE-GBM-1916932, published June 3, 1965, and these lie quite conspicuously within the area of grasp of the handle. These pushbuttons are attached resiliently to the umbrella handle or to the umbrella stick. The push button projects through an opening in the wall of the umbrella handle and acts upon the locking member of the slider upon being pressed in radially. Through the conspicuous placing of the push button in the surface of the handle, every user of the umbrella immediately recognizes how and where he has to release the umbrella slider when needed. However, this type of push button release has the disadvantage that it very easily becomes actuated unintentionally, e.g. upon roughly seizing the handle, and, particularly in the case of automatically opening umbrellas, may have unpleasant consequences.
There are also already release mechanisms, e.g., in accordance with German utility model No. DE-GBM 1958868, published Apr. 20, 1967, for the sliders of umbrellas in the form of slider sleeves which are arranged separately from the umbrella handle but mounted on it and are coupled directly and positively to the locking member of the slider itself. This release mechanism, is limited to umbrellas of the kind having a rigid stick which cannot be shortened, in which the necessary additional length of construction for the arrangement of the slider sleeve mounted on the handle plays no part.